A Pop-Culture Podcast

Weekend Watch – 11/16/18

Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).

Movies

Wide Release

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Loren: It’s not getting the best early buzz but I’m in for this. I actually enjoyed the first one of these and if nothing else want to see where the story is going. Plus, you guys know I love me some world building so this is right up my alley. The one thing I wish they did was recast Johnny Depp. The character is a shapeshifter, it would have been so easy!

RDT: I love me some Potter-verse. Hell, I’ve declared that if I ever have twin boys, I’m naming then Fred and George. But still, I just can’t get into this new franchise. I didn’t love the last one. And nothing about the trailers for this one has intrigued me.

Rick: Not being a tremendous HP fan, I had little interest in these movies from the get-go. Given that they’re getting mediocre to bad reviews, I’m okay skipping them.

Jen: The first time I watched the initial FB offering, I fell asleep. I gave it another shot and while it dragged in the beginning, I got into it toward the end and really loved some of the characters they’ve created (Queenie is my spirit animal). If nothing else, like Loren, I want to see where it goes.

Widows

Loren: There’s a shitload of talent behind this and I do like a good heist movie. Here’s to hoping it actually pulls it off. Tentatively in on this one for sure.

RDT: I’m super in for this. Probably not this weekend. I have some old apartment cleaning to do. But sooner than later, I’ll check it out.

Rick: I love me a good heist movie, and I love that Steve McQueen (Hunger, 12 Years a Slave) is taking a crack at a genre picture. Very much in.

Jen: That’s a heck of a lot of talent there. I would absolutely watch these ladies pull off a heist. Is it wrong that I’m hoping for a flashback sexy scene with Liam Neeson and Viola Davis? Hot!

Instant Family

Loren: This is probably saccharine sweet but I’ll never find out. You know, because of the *fart noise* of it all.

RDT: Looks harmless enough.

Rick: Hardest of nopes.

Jen: This looks like it’s probably sweet but I don’t need to give Mark Wahlberg any more of my money.

Limited Release

Amar Akbar Anthony

Loren: Wait, is this some cutesy regressive-ass love story or a high action Bollywood flick? It’s like 2 movies smushed into one.

RDT: Wait…this isn’t an Admiral Ackbar origin story? It’s a trap!

Rick: Wait…what…I…pick a lane, movie!

Jen: *Reads RDT’s entry, slow claps*

Welcome Home

Loren: Haven’t we seen this movie a couple times this year already? This doesn’t look any better or worse than those. It’s a little hard to imagine Aaron Paul with Emily Ratajkowski, but it’s not like he’s Kevin James or anything.

Rick: This feels overdone. I keep waiting for Aaron Paul to do something I can get into apart from Breaking Bad and Bojack Horseman.

Jen: Loren, let’s not take anything away from Aaron Paul’s hotness. That being said, this looks like “Horror Movie: The Drama” so I’m OK looking for the sexy scenes online down the road rather than sit through the whole thing.

The Last Race

Loren: To me the sign of a good doc is when it takes a subject you couldn’t care less about and turns it into something fascinating. This did that. I’m really curious about this story.

RDT: Too many docs.

Rick: This might be fun to watch back to back with Jack Hill’s Pit Stop (1969). In the queue it goes.

Jen: I’ll generally take any doc I can get, but this will be lower on the totem pole than others.

The Clovehitch Killer

Loren: A couple weeks ago we recognized the sheer creepiness of Dermot Mulroney in Into the Dark: Flesh and Blood so of course Dylan McDermott has to try and up the ante. I like what they are doing here and it could end up being a decent little thriller. Hopefully it stays on my radar.

RDT: Too creepy for me. I shall pass.

Rick: It’s a little bit Summer of ‘84, and something else I can’t place. It’s going to bug me until I figure it out. The Stepfather? No, that’s not it. But something…anyway, it looks fine, but entirely predictable.

Jen: That looks creep-tastic, I’ll keep an eye out for it when it streams.

Team Kahn

Loren: It’s actually not often you get a sports doc, especially about boxing, in the moment like this. I’m not sure I care enough about the fight or fighter to sit down with this though. It looks well made and everything, it just didn’t hook me.

RDT: I think I’ll just watch Creed II instead. Also, Rick!, didn’t we talk about screening all the Rocky movies (except V) and Creed leading up to Creed II? How about the Friday and/or Saturday after Thanksgiving????

Rick: I grew up watching boxing, but I haven’t followed the sport in ages. If I were as invested now as I was back then, I’d totally be in for this.

Jen: I’m not a boxing fan, at all. This looks well made, but I’ll pass.

Speed Kills

Loren: Did John Travolta’s face get stuck like that after the Gotti movie? Also, those actresses are really putting all those classes to good use. Being able to feint having sex with this version of Travolta and not run away screaming is impressive.

RDT: Parts of what Loren said and all of what Jen said.

Rick: Pfffft. Nope. Not ever.

Jen: No. Caveat – this is based on a true story that *is* interesting. I’d watch a documentary version of that story.

Of Fathers and Sons

Loren: I don’t really know how to feel about this. On one hand it really looks to spread Islamophobia and fear mongering. But on the other hand these are real people and are showing their true hate. I’m not sure I could stomach it either way.

RDT: What Loren said.

Rick: People inherit hate. This is not news. I admire that the filmmakers got unprecedented access to make this movie, but there’s no way I’d manage to sit through it.

Jen: Loren read my mind.

Lemonade

Loren: I don’t understand the title of this movie. It feels very much like a foreign country made a movie set in America but shot in their backyard. And for the title they just thought of the first American thing that popped into their head.

RDT: Isn’t Lemonade also a Beyonce thing? I didn’t watch that. And I likely won’t watch this. But lemonade, the drink, is delicious.

Rick: There’s a sinister undercurrent to this, and it seems like it’s trying to comment on current immigration policy, but I don’t know that I care about this movie.

Jen: I keep trying to come up with something to say about this, but I got nothing.

Jonathan

Loren: There are a couple different TV Shows and a slew of movies about this concept. I like both Patricia Clarkson and Ansel Elgort a fair amount but I don’t think it’s enough to see this.

RDT: I’m way into this. I get Black Mirror vibes from it. Hopefully it’s as good as at least a decent episode of that.

Rick: Pretty sure I know where that story is going. I’ll read the wiki.

Jen: What new ground is this movie treading? I feel like we’ve seen this story before. Pass.

Green Book

Loren: This looks fantastic. I will say that I didn’t even realize that was Viggo Mortensen until his title card came up. He looks so much like Steve Zahn here. I mean, I knew it wasn’t Steve Zahn but still. Anyway, I will definitely search this one out.

RDT: This was directed by Peter Farrelly, of Dumb & Dumber and There’s Something About Mary fame. So, from now on, anytime Loren and I complain that a director is attached to a movie seemingly “outside their wheelhouse,” I will remind us of this.

Rick: This will be more of a “matinee on my couch” than “run out to the theater” kind of experience, but I’ll give it a spin.

Jen: I will do anything for Viggo Mortensen. I still owe him for this moment

At Eternity’s Gate

Loren: Honestly the star calibre is there but the use of those extreme closeups was too jarring for my personal taste. As for the story, I don’t know how much more I need to know about Van Gogh. And like Jen below, I would much rather watch the Doctor Who episode with Van Gogh again.

RDT: That Doctor Who episode is amazing! Like the others said, I’ll just rewatch that.

Rick: Am I the only one who dislikes that Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who? Anyway, I’m into this, and may finally track down a copy of Kirk Douglas’ turn as the painter in Lust for Life (1956).

Jen: Remember that Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who? It was so good. I feel like it took the story of Van Gogh and told it in a compelling way with the time travel element woven in but the story of pain and inevitably still there. The Doctor was unable to save Van Gogh even by sharing his future fame with him. This movie wants to tread the same ground in a more traditional way, which is fine, but I think I’ll go watch Eleven and Amy Pond take him in the TARDIS another time instead.

55 Steps

Loren: I can see why this came out on VOD a month ago but is getting a theatrical release now. I would guess they want to submit it to the Academy so it needs a theatrical run but don’t have too much faith in it so they dumped it on VOD in October.

RDT: Loren, I think you are spot on. It’s one of those awards grab movies that fades after the big guns get released. Also, it look terrible.

Rick: I have one word: meh.

Jen: I love Hilary Swank but I’m sick of this type of lawyer fighting for justice role. I want more from her than this.

TV/Streaming

NETFLIX

Warrior

Loren: I think I’m all set with Danish Sons of Anarchy.

RDT: What Jen said.

Rick: This kind of thing is normally right up my alley, but I can’t bring myself to care about this story.

Jen: I mean this looks fine, but they just added a couple of seasons of The Great British Baking Show that I haven’t watched yet. That’s more my speed, I think.

Cam

Loren: Meh, Blumhouse is pretty good at what they do but this looks not so great. There’s probably a reason it’s going straight to Netflix.

RDT: My boss’s name is Cam. **shrugs**

Rick: $1 says it’s a take on Deep Fakes. Some internet loon is using the software to screw with the cam girl’s life. If it’s not, then I’ll watch it.

Jen: I am curious enough to check this out and see what’s going on – could be a cool thriller or a dud, just rolling that Netflix die on this one.

Dogs Season 1

Loren: We don’t deserve dogs.

RDT: Who’s a good doc?!?!? Are you a good doc?!??!

Rick: Puppies!!!

Jen: How heartless do you have to be to not want to watch this?

Narcos: Mexico

Loren: I haven’t watched any of the previous seasons of Narcos but I don’t think that matters here. It looks as though they’ve upped the quality of the stars but lowered the quality of the writing. I’ll probably go ahead and skip this one too.

RDT: Loren speaks for me yet again.

Rick: I’ve never had any interest in Narcos. I don’t need a spin-off.

Jen: Michael Pena and Diego Luna are both great. I haven’t seen any of the previous Narcos stories, but this may be the one to get me to tune in if only for that match up of talent.

Prince of Peoria

Loren: This feels like a Disney Channel/Nickelodeon reject. I’m good.

RDT: Despite the fact that I eat like a 12-year-old, I am not the audience for this show.

Rick: The Disney Channel-esque riff on Coming to America that no one on Earth could have possibly wanted.

Jen: Can we for a second focus on the “Hamilton”-like musical they seemingly go to called “Fillmore” I am now more curious to see the musical version of Millard Fillmore’s life than I am to watch this 1990s-era Nickelodeon show. Although I’m sure there’s a tween audience for this – good for them.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Loren: That’s a very interesting (and totally different from what I can remember) take on the She-Ra story. I’m not in love with that style of animation but I’ll give the first one a watch.

RDT: Not the She-Ra of my youth, sure, but it looks like an interesting take. If successful, will we get a He-Man reboot?

Rick: There have definitely been some changes to the world, but I think they’re for the better (even if they’re a bit Legend of Kora). I’ve been waiting for this to drop since it was announced. I’m super excited for this.

Jen: This is not my She-Ra, but it may end up being my daughter’s She-Ra in a couple of years, and I’m OK with that.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Loren: A Coen Brothers Western? Count me in.

RDT: I’m hit & miss with the Coen Bros. But given the amount of hits, I’ll definitely give this a watch,

Rick: You bet your sweet bippy.

Jen: I’m not usually a Western fan, but this is going in the queue ASAP. I spent a lot of time laughing at that last line by Franco. Joel and Ethan, you get me.

The Kominsky Method

Loren: So that’s what an Unrated Single Camera Sitcom form Chuck Lorre would look like. Pass.

RDT: I’m not gonna lie. I didn’t hate it. And the cast is phenomenal. I’ll throw it on the list and give it a watch.

Rick: I have a hard time saying no to that cast. Adding it to the queue.

Jen: I do appreciate that Netflix will make a movie about anyone. We’ve got Grace and Frankie, why not Arkin and Douglas? I’m not going to watch it, but maybe someone will?

The Princess Switch

Loren: This is the second time Netflix is trying to horn in on Hallmark’s bread and butter and I will not stand for it. It’s like The Prince and The Pauper gender swapped and set at Christmas. It’s going to make a zillion of whatever Netflix uses as currency. Dogecoin?

RDT: Well doesn’t that just look like an adorable movie that I’m never going to watch.

Rick: Oh, hell no.

Jen: Don’t tell anybody, but I will watch the HELL out of this.

HULU

The Bisexual

Loren: Maybe this will shed some light on how people view bisexuality. With so much other TV out there, I’m not sure I’m going to have time for this but if I hear enough praise for it, I might give it a chance.

RDT: I am a fan of most of Hulu’s originals. I’ll give this a shot, sure.

Rick: I’m on the fence with this one. The subject matter is interesting, but I don’t know how up for a challenging TV series I am right now. Maybe I’ll check it out down the line.

Jen: I can’t think of another show just like this, which is refreshing. In the spirit of the show itself, I may have to try it out.

SHOWTIME

Enemies: The President, Justice, & The FBI

Loren: I mean, I feel like we already know all of this about our current administration. I don’t think I need a Showtime Docu-series to reiterate that to me.

RDT: Guys! I have Showtime now! I mean, I stole it from my mom, but still. Regardless, I’m never going to watch this. But Kevin Smith’s new standup special is really funny, if you like Kevin Smith.

Rick: Noooooooooo thanks.

Jen: This looks like a TV version of a Woodward book and Bob Woodward is the picture I had in my locker in high school. 100% in.

HBO

My Brilliant Friend

Loren: I just know I’m never going to watch this. Even if it’s amazing. Sorry.

RDT: I’m a dick but…I’m never going to watch this.

Rick: I was about to say I’d rather read the book, but in this case I don’t have any interest in either iteration of this story.

Jen: I’m sure it’s lovely, but there’s too much other TV for me to get drawn into this one.

AMAZON

The Gymkhana Files

Rick: I read a lot of automotive news, so Ken Block’s name comes up quite a bit. I have respect for drift racers, but it doesn’t really hold any fascination for me. Talented drivers, though. I envy their skill.

Jen: Loren beat me to it too. Dammit Loren.

So that’s your upcoming weekend in review. Let us know what you saw, liked and/or hated.